Textile material and the production thereof



@Ct. 9, 1934. TAYLOR 1,976,201

TEXTILE MATERIAL AND THE PRODUCTION THEREOF Filed Nov. 13. 1931 Fl G5. I

15 13 s I m 11 H |ll 21 Fl Q E3 1s mwnuevs Patented @ct. 1%34 tenant William Evan Taylor, Spondon, near Ederby, England, assigner to @elanese @orporation oi America, a corporation of Delaware Application November 13, 1931, Serial No. 5%,852

lln Great January It, 193i.

This invention relates to the production of textile yarns or threads (hereinafter referred to as threads), and in particular threads made of or containing continuous filaments, whether natural or artificial.

A thread according to the invention is doubled from component threads at least one of which is a continuous filament thread that has been stretched beyond the elastic limit before doubling, so that it is in a strained state and thus capable of shrinking with respect to the other component or components'of the doubled thread. Thus the doubled thread may consist of one or more stretched continuous filament threads doubled with one or more unstretched continuous filament threads or one or more other types of threads, or the doubled thread may contain two or more continuous filament threads which have been stretched to different degrees, with or without one or more other types of threads.

The continuous filament components of such doubled threads may comprise any desired number of more or less fine continuous filaments of the same or different denier or may even be single filaments or somewhat heavy denier. The non-stretched component threads may comprise filaments of the same material as that of the stretched threads or filaments or fibres of different materials. By the employment of different filaments or fibres, whether between the stretched and the unstretched components, or between two or more stretched components, where such are used, the doubled threads are capable of receiving differential dye-efiects, as well as exhibiting the peculiar characteristic due to the difierential shrinking powers of the component threads.

The component threads may be doubled together with any desired degree of twist, e. g., they may be given a high or very high degree of twist to render them suitable for use in the production of crpe or similar effects. When the threads are subjected to shrinking, difierential contraction occurs between the threads. The amount of contraction and the consequent efiect produced may be modified by varying the degree of doubling or twisting imparted to the threads, and/or by selection of the shrinking agency employed.

Each of the component threads may have any desired amount of twist prior to the formation of the doubled thread, for example, they may be untwisted, or may have a high or very high degree of twist. Further, the component threads may each have the same or substantially the same degree of twist. or one or more of the threads may have a more or less high degree of twist, and the remaining thread or threads little or no twist.

The stretching or the differential stretching of the threads may take place continuously with $9 the doubling operation, or threads may be doubled together, some or all or which have previously been stretched to the required degree. For example, in the application of the inven= tion to artificial threads produced by the dry or evaporative method, particularly threads of cellulose acetate or other organic derivatives of cellulose, the differential stretching of the threads may be carried out continuously with their production, or as a subsequent operation. Likewise, the doubling of such threads maybe eifected as an operation continuous with pro duction, and following the stretching or difierential stretching of the threads. This last-mentioned method of producing artificial threads according to the invention is described in greater detail hereafter. Further, in the production of doubled threads continuously with the produc tion of an artificial component, another component may be led from a suitable package and doubled with the artificial component.

The treatment by which the difierential con=- traction is brought out in the threads may be carried out either on the threads themselves prior to their use in knitting, weaving, or other fabricforming operations, or on fabrics or articles made of or containing the threads. If desired, the threads may be sized, for example, as described in U. S. applications S. Nos. 491,070 filed 24th October, 1930, 514,898 filed 10th February, 1931, 514,899 filed 10th February, 1931 and 535,287 filed 5th May, 1931 either before, during or after doubling, so that swelling of the size as described in these specifications enhances the contraction obtainable by shrinking. Likewise, in carrying out the shrinking, the securing or swelling treatments described in British specification No. 351,999 and U. S. applications S. Nos. 501,461 filed 10th December, 1930, 530,728 filed 16th April, 1931 and 527,358 filed 2nd April, 1931 may be resorted to, to effect a swelling of the materials of the threads to improve the contraction obtainable.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, and by way of example only, principally with respect to the production of threads of cellulose acetate according to the invention continuously with their production by the dry or evaporative method.

Two threads each consisting 01 any desired second roller rotating at a higher peripheral speed than the first, and the other thread direct to the second roller, each or either of the threads before reaching the rollers being caused to pass over lubricating, moistening, sizing, or similar devices if desired. The thread which proceeds direct to the second roller is drawn down from the jet at a speed determined by the peripheral speed of that roller, the draw-down, of course, taking place during setting of the filaments, and resulting in filaments which are unstrained. The other thread, however, has its rate of drawdown determined by the peripheral speed of the first roller it encounters, and therefore is drawn from the jet at a slower rate. Between the first roller and the second roller the second thread is stretched, and, because this thread has reached a substantially set condition when it encounters the first roller, it is strained because of the difference in the peripheral speeds of the rollers. Since both of the threads pass round the second roller, each of them is delivered from the roller at substantially the same rate. and can thus be doubled together to form a single thread. The amount of stretching force applied to the one thread is, of course, beyond the elastic limit of that thread but within the breaking load of the thread. The unstrained thread may be led from a bobbin or other package instead of directly from a spinning jet.

It is not essential that both threads should have exactly the same length, for by delivering one thread at a slightly different rate from the other, there may be obtained variations in the eflfect capable of being produced by the use of the doubled thread. For example, if a thread which has been stretched between the two rollers is delivered at a somewhat slower rate than the thread which has not been so stretched, the unstretched thread will, after doubling of the threads, be wound somewhat loosely in a spiral or even in a looped form round the stretched thread. This slower rate of feed may be automatically provided by the retraction which takes place in the stretched thread after removal of the stretching load. Then, on subjecting the threads to shrinking the stretched thread will contract so that the looseness of the unstretched thread will be accentuated. Quite large loops may be formed in this way by stretching one thread to a high degree, say 20%, and these loops may be used to produce a thread having slub-like formations by bringing the twist of th? thread to say 10-15 turns per inch, either in the doubling operation or in a re-twisting operation.

The relative effect of the stretched thread in the doubled thread will depend on several facts, such as the amount of stretching, and the proportion of stretched and unstretched filaments in the thread, this proportion depending, of course, both on the filament denier and the number of filaments in each of the two component threads. Thus, the proportion of stretched filaments reckoned in total denier may be greater or less than, or equal to, the proportion of unstretched filaments. Instead of forming the doubled thread of two threads of filaments, one only of which is stretched, more than two threads may be doubled together and any of the component threads may be stretched to any desired degree provided that the final thread consists of filaments which have been difierently stretched. Where all the threads have been stretched, though to a difierent degree, the contractile property of the doubled thread is increased as compared with an unstretched thread, since the straining of the leaststretched component thread results in greater contraction being obtainable.

The several threads entering into the composition of the doubled thread may be produced from a single jet, the filaments from which are divided in accordance with the number of stretched and unstretched filaments desired in the thread, or from two or more jets in the same or in separate spinning cells, and having any required number of spinning orifices to produce filaments of any desired denier. The doubling of the threads may conveniently be carried out at the final stage of the production of the threads, as by the use of cap-spinning or other twisting and winding devices. Alternatively the threads may be simply wound without twisting and afterwards doubled as a separate operation. Further twisting of the threads to a medium or high degree of twist may be carried out on any suitable twisting apparatus.

A similar arrangement of stretching apparatus to that described above may be used in connection with the production of difierentially stretched threads otherwise than continuously with production. For example the first roller may receive a thread from a suitable supply bobbin or-other package, while the second roller receives a thread from a further supply package. The first thread is stretched to the required degree round the two rollers, and then doubled with the thread drawn direct from the package by the second roller. Further, stretched and unstretched or differently stretched threads may be led from suitable packages and doubled together with any required degree of twist by any convenient type of doubling device.

Two or more threads containing stretched and unstretched filaments or difierentially stretched filaments may be doubled together to produce a composite thread after one or more of them have received a high or very high degree of twist, or one or more such threads, at least one of which has a high or very high twist may be doubled or simply bound together with one or more other threads of the same or different material of low or high twist. When the composite threads contain at least two high twist threads, each or any containing difierentially stretched filaments, the high twisting may be in the same sense for all the threads or in opposite senses in different threads. For example, two threads containing stretched and unstretched filaments or differentially stretched filaments may be doubled together or doubled or bound with a low twist thread to produce a composite thread suitable for the production of c'rped or figured effects in single box looms.

The accompanying drawing shows diagrammatically several forms of apparatus for carrying out the invention, Fig. 1 being a side elevation of one form of apparatus, Fig. 2 a plan view of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a view of a jet for use in the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. 4 a modification of a detail of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 a side elevation of another form of apparatus.

In Fig. 1, a thread 6 is taken from a spinning cell 7 by means of a feed roller 8 and passes there- I from to a second roller 9 moving with a higher peripheral speed than that of the roller 8 sothat the thread is stretched to a corresponding degree. The stretched thread then proceeds to the balloon guide 10 of a cap-spinning device 11 by means of which it is wound on to a bobbin 12. A second thread 13 passes from the spinning cell, or if desired from a separate package, direct to the roller 9 round which it passes so as to be drawn at the same speed as that of the separate thread 6, and then proceeds to the balloon guide 10 so that it is doubled with the thread 6 and wound on to the bobbin 12.

The threads 6 and 13 may be produced from separate jets, or may be produced by a single jet is as shown in Fig. 3. This jet has two groups of spinning orifices 15 which may be equal or unequal in number, each group constituting one of the threads 6,13.

Instead of the threads 6, 13 being delivered to the roller 9 at exactly the same rate, the roller 9 may be provided with a reduced portion 16 as shown in Fig. 4, so that the threads are delivered at a slightly difierent rate. Preferably the unstretched thread 13 is delivered at a slightly greater rate than the stretched thread 6 so as to wrap round the thread 6 in spiral or looped form. On subsequent shrinkage of the stretched thread the looseness of the thread 13 is accentuated.

In Fig. 5 a thread 17 is drawn from a package 18 and stretched by means ofrollers 19, 20 in a manner similar to that described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. A second thread 21 is drawn from a package 22 and led direct to the roller 20. The two threads are then fed either at the same rate or at a slightly difierent rate, as described with reference to Fig. 4, to a ring spinning device 23 by means of which they are doubled together to any desired degree of twistmg.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. Doubled threads comprising component threads of difierent length and including at least one shorter continuous filament thread stretched beyond its elastic limit and capable of shrinking with respect to the remainder of the thread under a shrinking treatment applied to the doubled threads.

2. Doubled threadscomprising component threads of difierent length and including at least one shorter organic derivative of cellulose continuous filament thread stretched beyond its elastic limit and capable of shrinking with respect to the remainder of the thread under a shrinking treatment applied to the doubled threads.

3. Doubled threads comprising component threads of diflerent lengthand including at least one shorter cellulose acetate continuous filament thread stretched beyond its elastic limit and capable of shrinking with respect to the remainder of the thread under a shrinking treatment applied to the doubled threads.

4. Doubled threads comprising component threads of difierent length and containing a high degree of twist and including at least one shorter continuous filament thread stretched beyond its elastic limit and capable of shrinking with respect to the remainder of the thread imder a shrinking treatment applied to the doubled threads.

5. Doubled threads comprising component threads of difierent length and containing a high degree of twist and including at least one shorter continuous filament thread of cellulose acetate stretched beyond its elastic limit and capable of shrinking with respect to the remainder of the thread under a shrinking treatment applied to the doubled threads.

6. Fabrics containing doubled threads comprising component threads of different length and including at least one shorter continuous filament thread stretched beyond its elastic limit so as to be capable of shrinking with respect to the remainder of the thread comprising the doubled thread, said fabric having been subjected to a shrinking treatment to shrink said stretched component threads.

'7. Fabrics containing doubled threads comprising component threads of difierent length and including at least one shorter continuous filament thread of cellulose acetate stretched beyond its elastic limit so as to be capable of shrinking with respect to the remainder of the thread comprising the doubled thread, said fabric having been subjected to a shrinking treatment to shrink said stretched component threads.

8. Process for the production of doubled threads which comprises stretching a continuous filament thread beyond its elastic limit, and doubling-it together with other threads so as to produce a doubled thread containing threads of difierent length and including at least one shorter continuous filament thread capable of shrinking with respect to the remainder of the thread under a shrinking treatment applied to the doubled threads.

9. Process for the production of doubled threads which comprises stretching a continuous filament thread of an organic derivative of cellulose beyond its elastic limit, and doubling it together with other threads so as to produce a doubled thread containing threads of difierent length and including at least one shorter con-- tinuous filament thread of an organic derivative of cellulose capable of shrinking with respect to the remainder of the'thr'ead under a shrinking treatment applied to the doubled threads.

10. Process for the production of doubled threads which comprises stretching a continuous filament thread of cellulose acetate beyond its elastic limit, and doubling it together with other threads so as to produce a doubled thread containing threads of diiferent length and including at least one shorter continuous filamentthread of cellulose acetate capable of shrinking with respect to the remainder of the thread under a shrinking treatment applied to the doubled threads.

WILLIAM IVAN TAYLOR. 

